Sep 63 min read

Tennessee and NC State to Meet in Top 25 Primetime Clash

The No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers (1-0) look to continue their winning ways as they meet the No. 24 NC State Wolfpack (1-0) in a primetime matchup. In Week 1, the Volunteers thumped the Chattanooga Mocs (0-1) 69-3, while the Wolfpack (1-0) defeated the Western Carolina Catamounts (0-1) by a score of 38-21. The Volunteers and Wolfpack will meet at 7:30 p.m. EST on Sept. 7 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

What's at Stake?

The Volunteers look to take a 3-1 all-time series lead over the Wolfpack, with their last win against NC State coming back in 2012.

This will be Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren's first time facing the Volunteers, and he hopes to start off on the right foot.

Key Players: Tennessee

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava and wide receiver Squirrel White headline the offense for the Volunteers.

Iamaleava is a redshirt freshman and a former five-star recruit, and in the season opener against the Mocs, he showed why he was such a highly regarded prospect. He was named Southeastern Conference co-freshman of the week after setting a school record for the most passing yards in a single half with 314. If the Volunteers are to go far this season, Iamaleava will likely be the one they lean on.

White is in his third season with the Volunteers and typically lines up in the slot. He was quite the workhorse last season, leading the team in catches with 67 and receiving yards with 803. He averaged 61.8 yards per game which was 10th in the SEC. If White continues to put up numbers like these, watch out for the Volunteers offense this season.

Defensive End James Pearce Jr. and linebacker Keenan Pili headline the defense for Tennessee.

Pearce is a junior and is projected as a top 5 draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He's been named to the Bednarik Award Watch List, the Nagurski Trophy Watch List, the Lombardi Award Watch List, the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List. He will likely be a special player for the Volunteers defense all year long.

Pili is a senior and is also on some award watch lists. He's a National Football Foundation Campbell Trophy nominee, and he is on the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List, the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List, the Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List and was named fourth-team All-SEC. Pili is also likely to be a major cog in the Tennessee defense this year.

Key Players: NC State

QB Grayson McCall and wide receiver KC Concepcion highlight the offense for the Wolfpack.

McCall transferred to the Wolfpack this past year from the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (1-0). He has put up big numbers in his collegiate career, passing for 10,323 yards in 43 career games, with a career completion percentage of .697. Establishment of rhythm in the Wolfpack offense will depend on McCall's performance.

Concepcion, a sophomore, hauls in any ball thrown at him. He was a freshman All-American in 2023 and the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year. He set the NC State freshman record for receiving touchdowns with 10. In NC State's Week 1 victory over Western Carolina, he hauled in 9 receptions for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns, quickly becoming McCall's favorite target.

Linebacker Sean Brown and cornerback Brandon Cisse highlight the defense for the Wolfpack.

Brown previously played safety but made the transition to linebacker. He's been named to the Butkus Award Watch List and is a team captain. NC State is counting on Brown to be a leader on defense. Against Western Carolina, Brown made 4 tackles and 1 QB hurry.

Cisse started his first career game in last week's win over the Catamounts. He played 38 snaps at cornerback, 17 at the nickel position. Cisse's quickness in coverage is a major asset of the Wolfpack defense. He had 3 tackles in Week 1.